RealGM

-------------------------------------------------First Round-------------------------------------------------

1. LA Clippers: Blake Griffin
LA just landed into a dream scenario with Griffin. With Eric Gordon on the outside they will be a force in the NBA.
Other Picks: None

2. Memphis: Ricky Rubio
The question for Memphis is whether or not Conley is the future point guard for their team. He has not impressed me as a future "star" point guard. Having Rubio could give them a nice three guard rotation, or they could use Conley or Rubio to get a good power forward.
Other Picks: Chase Buddinger, Danny Green

3. Oklahoma City: James Harden

DJ convinced me, OKC is going with Harden.

Harden sort of reminds me of Paul Peirce, and I think that he is one of the few players in this draft who are pretty much a lock to have a good career. He has a real knack for getting into the lane and finishing but he needs to work on finishing on the right side of the hoop. He has a solid jumper and decent athleticism but is not going to do anything too amazing athletically. Right now I think that his ceiling is as a 16ppg scorer but if he adds the right hand and starts to hit 3-pointers at a 40% clip he could top out at near 20 points. Harden is one of my favorite players in this draft and I think that unlike many shooting guards in this draft and in recent years he is going to bring all the intangibles needed to be a good player on both ends of the court from day one.
Other Picks: Nick Cathelas
Moved Up

4. Sacramento: Tyreke Evans
Evans has a ton of potential, size, and the ability to get to the hole. I think he could be a good fit for Sacramento with his ability to penetrate and dish it out to the open wings (especially Martin). He is a solid defender and has the size to bother a lot of opposing guards Is he going to be a super star? I don't think so, but I think he can be a Rodney Stuckey type impact player. He will have to improve upon his assist to turnover ratio in order to be an effective "point guard".

With no guarentee about Kevin Martin's future Evans could be a good replacement--especially if they trade Martin for a point guard. Even if they keep both players I think they can co-exsist in the back-court. I think it is very likely that they trade down and grab "true" a point guard.
Other Picks: Omri Casspi, Darren Collison
Moved Up

5. Minnesota: Hasheem Thabeet
I had Thabeet drafted by Minnesota in my pre-lottery mock (viewtopic.php?f=38&t=899929), and after all the recent rumors it sounded like I may have been right. Thabeet has the size and defensive intangibles to be a great compliment to a below-average defending duo of Jefferson and Love (not for lack of effort though). Not many guys have the potential of Thabeet, but there are none in the draft with as many questions surrounding them. I think in the end he is the 4th or 5th best player in this draft which means that picking him at 6 is right around "market-value".
Other Picks: Stephan Curry, Omri Casspi, Wayne Ellington, Alade Aminu, Henk Norel

6. Minnesota: Stephan Curry
The strengths of Curry are pretty well known already, he is a clutch performer with one of the best shooting strokes in the NCAA. In the NBA he will be asked to do something similar to what he did in college, but also to become a distributer (which it seems like he will be able to do--for now). Early in the season he was predicted to be a top 5 pick, his stock has fallen but he still has the same talent that got him there in the first place.

7. Golden State: Jordan Hill
Golden State drafts a guy with good potential and fundamentals. He has a nice mid-range game but the question would be whether or not he could set himself apart from Brandon Wright and become a good compliment to Randolph and Biendrins. Personally I don't see what all the buzz is about, but I hope he proves me wrong. What I do like about his game, however, is his shooting touch--much like Chris Bosh everything he puts up is soft and has a chance of getting in. In my mind he projects as a less athletic Charlie Villanueva (and a better defender).

If they trade the pick I think Hill has about the most value out of the players left on the board.
Other Picks: None
Moved Down

8. New York: Jonny Flynn
Flynn would thrive in an up-tempo system. He is extremely athletic and a good "floor general" but there is just something about him that makes me feel like he is not going to be worth the 10 pick and become a Jarret Jack or Steve Blake type player (excellent second string guard, below average starter).
Other Picks: None

9. Toronto: DeMar Derozan
DeMar has all the potential in the world but I think he will just end up as a decent role player that a couple of years down the road will have been deemed to have been drafted too early but not a huge bust. With Toronto already saying that Derozan is their man I think that if he drops to them they will take him off the board.
Other Picks: None

10. Milwaukee: Brandon Jennings
Jennings has a bit of an attitude and, at least to me, seems a little immature (he is 19 though). I think that these things in combination with Italy might be enough to make him drop a bit. He has great potential, is athletic, shoots well, and is a creative (not efficient) passer. I think that skipping out on college possibly hurt his stock more than it helped--it also called into question just how good he really is--he is just as big of an unknown as he was in high school. I think it is very likely that Milwaukee trades up to the 7th pick in order to grab Jordan Hill and draft the guy that Golden State wants (I think Flynn fits perfectly).
Other Picks: Jeff Pendergraph

11. New Jersey: Terence Williams
Williams seems like the kind of player that would fit well on a team that thinks it can contend. He gives New Jersey a good perimeter defender to put next to Harris. Williams is an extremely gifted athlete with an improving jump shot, he will raise a lot of eyebrows in the NBA. I think at this point the Nets will be looking for a player that can be a future replacement for Carter and I think that Williams can be that guy.
Other Picks: None

12. Charlotte: Gerald Henderson
Henderson is a good fit for a team like the Bobcats that is defense oriented, or rather a good fit for their coach Larry Brown. He has some major flaws in his game but what he does provide (athleticism and defense) are things that would compliment other players on the Bobcat's roster well.
Other Picks: Nando De Colo, Emir Preldzic

13. Indiana: DeJuan Blair
Blair uses his strong frame to force opponents out of position, and then his long arms clean off the glass. He is one of those players in the mold of Elton Brand and Paul Millsap (not saying he will be as successful, but there is the possibility). I think that Blair is one of the safer picks in the draft and that he will become an excellent role player in the future.
Other Picks: Jerel McNeal

14. Phoenix: Jrue Holliday
Jrue is has been a bit of a mystery over the past year. He had a bad college season but consistently showed flashes of why he is such a good prospect. He has great size, is athletic, and has a pretty jumper. He still needs to prove that he is a true point guard rather than stuck between positions--but I think he is going to do that and become a very nice NBA player.
Other Picks: Tony Douglas, Nikkos Pappas

15. Detroit: Earl Clark
Clark has so much upside it is unbelievable. He has all the "measurables" and skills to be a top 8 player in ANY draft but his consistency is terrible which is going to scare off a lot of teams. If Clark goes this low he is going to be a huge steal. Clark is not the classic tweener that we are used to seeing, he already has the skill-set and athleticism to play small forward, but he also has the size to play power forward (although it is questionable whether or not he would be most effective there....).

He looks like a larger version of Danny Granger. He is much longer, and a bit taller though which fits him well at the power forward position. He has been stellar at times during college, and bad at other times--in a lot of ways the way his college career is going reminds me of Rudy Gay, and we know how well he has turned out...
Other Picks: Victor Claver, Taj Gibson, Sergio Llull

16. Chicago: B.J. Mullens
Chicago has been looking for a low-post scoring threat since Eddy Curry left; Mullens' is not the guy who will solve all those problems, but he could be a very good complimentary piece in Chicago's system, especially with a good point guard like Derrick Rose.

Mullens is an extremely gifted athlete that will fit in well with a faster paced team. He was on a team with a coach that is notorious for having trouble with his big-men (most notably Kosta Koufos) which hurt is stock tremendously. His shot blocking abilities will be a welcome addition to an already great Chicago defense, and his size will really help them throughout the season. I think he will be this year's JaVale McGee.
Other Picks: Marcus Thornton

17. Philadelphia: Ty Lawson
Philadelphia will be looking for a player to replace Miller and be a competent backup right now. I had Jrue Holiday slated in at this position, but I think that with where Philadelphia is now Lawson would actually be one of the few players left in the draft that helps them to compete now.
Other Picks: None

18. Minnesota: Omri Casspi
Another upside pick, possibly the second or third best foreign prospect in this draft. He is a physical player and breaks the traditional role of European prospect in that respect.

19. Atlanta: Eric Maynor
Maynor has a knack for scoring the ball and is a good distributer as well. He did not measure well but at the point guard position it is less of a problem. He will be a great player in this league if he keeps working on every aspect of his game. I think he is more "nba" ready than most of the guys at this point but that his ceiling is a bit lower. Atlanta lacks a good backup point guard, and Maynor would be a good fit behind Bibby. He could eventually become a star, and his skill-set will be a welcome addition to a young Atlanta team.
Other Picks: Paul Harris

20. Utah: James Johnson
Johnson looks like a pretty versatile player that will be able to get minutes in many situations. He is an extremely good athlete with length and strength. His jump shot needs some work but he would be a good fit on a young, rebuilding team. If he can start hitting threes I think he will be a more complete version of Travis Outlaw (but with the strength to play power forward).
Other Picks: Luke Neville

21. New Orleans: Jeff Teague
Teague is the best player available at this point in the draft. He is a scorer, and could see some minutes at shooting guard if he is able to get into the lane and be a difference maker in his rookie year. Jeff is one of those "swing-for-the-fences" picks that you really don't know what you are going to get out of him (a star, role player, or nothing).
Other Picks: None

22. Portland: Tyler Hansbrough
We saw it with Millsap, we saw it with Gomes, and we might very well see it again with Hansbrough--an undersized power forward who is not well regarded by scouts, and ends up being one of the biggest steals of the draft. Roy said that the only thing that Portland needed was a backup to LaMarcus Aldridge. I disagree with him, but in any case Hansbrough would fill that role and could become a key part of the team, so it is still a good pickup.
Other Picks: Dajuan Summers, Jeff Adrien, Milenko Tepic, A.J Price

23. Sacramento: Austin Daye
Daye had some tremendous measurements which gives me hope that he will become a good defender in the Andrei Kirilenko/Tayshuan Prince mold. He needs to bulk up, but he has a lot of skill and potential.

24. Dallas: Sam Young
Young is not a sexy pick, but he has a good grasp of the fundamentals of the game. He is a very good defender and has a high basketball IQ. A good pickup to help improve Dallas' bench depth.
Other Picks: None

25. Oklahoma City: Nick Cathelas
The perfect draft and stash player. Nick has a great command of the tempo at the college level, and if he can translate that to the NBA he 'could' be a steal.

26. Chicago: Marcus Thornton
Thornton is a player with some upside, and could be a good role player in the future. He has a nice offensive arsenal but is not as impressive as many of the players taken before him.

27. Memphis: Chase Buddinger
Chase would be a nice addition for the Grizzlies. He would be a competent backup to both Gay and Mayo (something they still don't have) and would provide a spark off the bench with his athleticism and range.

28. Minnesota: Wayne Ellington
Ellington is a very safe pick at this point in the draft. He has a good jump-shot under him but I question how he will adapt to the NBA.

29. LA Lakers: Patrick Mills
Mills proved that he can be a good player in the Olympics--but that performance needs to be taken with a grain of salt because Carlos Arroyo did the same thing in 2004.
Other Picks: Dionte Christmas, Jack McClinton

30. Cleveland: Derrick Brown
Brown is extremely athletic, and could be a steal at this point in the draft if he improves his ball handling and 3-point shooting.
Other Picks: Dante Cunningham

------------------------------------------------Second Round-----------------------------------------------

31. Sacramento: Darren Collison
Collison is the best point guard left at this point in the draft and could become a good complimentary piece in Sacramento's system. He could be a solid backup/replacement for Beno Udrih.

32. Portland: DaJuan Summers
Summers has great size, and could possibly be one of the more talented players in the top of the second round.

33. Washington: Jermaine Taylor
I think that Taylor is one of the few players left at this point in the draft who has a pretty good potential to become a starter on a decent team. He would most likely take DeShawn Stevenson't minutes were Washington to draft him. He is an incredible athlete, and has a nice jump sot. He will be the steal of the second round.

34. Denver: Rodrigue Beaubois
There have been a lot of French players who have come to the NBA and made an impact--I don't think Beaubois will be one of them. Has a really bad release on his jumper but incredible athleticism. I think he is too raw to make a difference now, or maybe even ever.
Other Picks: None

35. Memphis: Danny Green
If Green is going to become a player in this league it is going to be in a similar way to Bruce Bowen. He needs to find something other than his shooting to become a great role player--I think that he will do this and become one of the best pickups in the draft.

36. Detroit: Victor Claver
Claver would be a first round pick if he played in America, but with this year's weak foreign class I think all the Over-seas players other than Rubio and Mills will drop to the second round. Claver will have a role as soon as he comes over to NBA as a skilled combo forward off the bench (and on a team like Detroit, maybe even starting).

37. San Antonio: Jonas Jerebko
Jerebko has a great NBA body already. He has been destroying players in the Reebok Eurocamp and looks to be one of the biggest risers in this year's draft. He sounds like a really intelligent guy and I am looking forward to seeing him in the NBA.
Other Picks: Sergey Gladyr, DeMarre Carroll

38. Portland: Tony Douglas
Douglas is a 6' 1" shooting guard. Maybe he can develop and become an Eddie House type player. I don't believe all the talk of him sneaking onto the second round, but he could go a couple of spots above where I have him listed.

39. Detroit: Taj Gibson
Taj is another one of those raw players with good shot blocking abilities. He swats away 3 per game at the college level, and pulls down 9 rebounds.

40. Charlotte: Jeff Adrien
Has great length for his height. Could become an energy power forward in the mold of Jason Maxiell. With so many small power forwards entering the NBA the position is being redefined and players under 6-8 are starting to get some serious time--Adrien could continue this new trend.

41. Milwaukee: Jeff Pendergraph
Another one of those solid-fundamental players that never really does anything to impress you, but also does nothing to make you think he sucks. Another guy that sort of compares to Michael Doleac (or Sean Marks).

42. LA Lakers: Dionte Christmas
Salim Stoudamire v.2? If he starts hitting his threes consistently and is smart he could turn into a decent player--but, I just don't see it. He is a decent penetrator but is going to need to add a bit more speed if he is going to get into the lane against NBA players.

43. Miami: Josh Heytvelt
Josh is the best center outside of Mullens and Thabeet in this draft. He has good length and a nice mid range game but needs to add to his post game to become an effective center.
Other Picks: Artem Zabelin

44. Detroit: Sergio Llull
Llull is a fantastic player that is going to surprise a lot of people when he comes into the NBA. He has a fantastic jump shot and good court vision--he is similar to his teammate Ricky Rubio, but more athletic and raw. He could see time at both shooting guard and point guard in the NBA. Llull is by far the best point guard left at this point in the draft.

45. Minnesota: DeMarre Carroll
Caroll is the classic tweener, but he is working on the aspects of his game needed to turn himself into a good small forward. If he can bulk up he could become a decent backup power forward for a team in the mold of Wayne Simien (but without the injuries hopefully).

46. Phoenix: Dante Cunningham
I really think that Cunningham is going to become a good role player in the NBA. At the power forward position is is quick, and smart--which make up for his below average size. If Cunningham plays with a lot of energy I would not be surprised to see him be considered one of the steals of the draft.

47. Minnesota: Henk Norel
Norel is one of the better foreign prospects left at this point in the draft. He is already making an impact in the Euroleagues, so he could eventually come over and be a Luis Scola type impact player.

48. Phoenix: Nando De Colo
De Colo has been getting a lot of attention lately and is in my mind the best French prospect this year. I think he has a decent chance of playing through, at the very least, his rookie contract in the NBA.

49. Atlanta: Paul Harris
Harris has an NBA body and is a good defender. He was under-utilized at Syracuse but I think he is a first round talent. His shooting form is decent, but he doesn't shoot the lights out. He averaged 8 rebounds as a 6-4 guard in college. I hope he drops to the Jazz, but I think there is a pretty good possibility that he goes even higher than 49--much like Chris Duhon the year he was drafted.

50. Utah: Luke Neville
Neville is a fluid 7-2 player. He has a nice feel for the game and knows how to use his height but he relies on his height too much rather than his skill. If he plays in the NBA there will be an adjustment time because of the way he plays, and he will never be a dominant center because of his lack of speed, but he will be a very good 10-12 minute type of guy to fill the lane and give your starter and 2nd string guy a break while still being productive (think Aaron Gray).

51. San Antonio: Alade Aminu
Aminu could be a decent 2nd or 3rd string center in this league if he refines his offensive game and bulks up.

52. Indiana: Jerel McNeal
Has a nice fade-away jumper but not much else.

53. San Antonio: Sergey Gladyr
All I know about him is that he is a combo guard and played in the Ukrain. I think for him to not have withdrawn he would have had to of gotten a promise from a team to be drafted, and San Antonio is the one that makes the most sense to me; they seemingly always dig up someone on draft day that we have never heard of and turning them into a good/great player.

54. Charlotte: Emir Preldzic
Don't know much about the guy, but he sounds like Hedo Turkoglu type player.

55. Portland: Milenko Tepic
This is another one of the Euro's that really intrigues me. He has that same smooth skill set and size to play 3 or 4 positions, but he also has a solid jumper under him that could make him into a lethal player. I see him as a Hedo Turkoglu type player.

56. Portland: A.J. Price
A point guard with no point guard skills--he can shoot, but will his game translate to the NBA? I think not (Especially with his character issues).

57. Phoenix: Nikos Pappas
An 18 year old point guard who has already shown some promise in international competition would be a good pickup for a team late in the second round--a perfect draft and stash candidate because in 3 years you might end up with someone special.

58. Boston: Lester Hudson
Ummm...28 8 and 4--guys with stats like that rarely go undrafted, and Hudson could actually become a good role player off the bench for a team who needs a scoring point guard.
Other Picks: None

59. LA Lakers: Jack McClinton
Jack possesses one of the best jump-shots in college basketball--outside of that though there is not much else he can do for an NBA team. In college he relied a ton on using floaters and bank shots close to the paint--in the NBA he is going to have a lot harder time getting, and making those shots.
Moved In

60. Miami: Artem Zabelin
Artem is this year's Yaroslav Korelev, except he might get picked in the right spot and pan out. He has great size, just needs to bulk up a bit (lot). One of the only players left with legit center height.

Italicized names indicate players that I *think* will be considered either
a) Steals in the draft
b) Guys that will have really good NBA careers (in the early lottery as the best or second best player on their team, later in the lottery and the rest of the first round as the 3rd or 4th best, 2nd round a chance to be a 6th or 7th man in their prime--there is always an anomaly even in bad drafts--see Michael Redd--I am not predicting that, just who has the chance to be a contributer.)

You will find a lot of this in the second round because of the nature of the draft.

Red type indicates that the player has a good chance of being a bust (again, IMO). I am not necessarily saying that a player will be a bust, just that there is a higher likely hood of them not producing than the players around them in the draft; you will not find any red font in the second round.

In from last Update:
Out from last update:

Looks good except for Steph Curry dropping that far, I don't see that

I note you have Luke Neville in Italics. You think Luke Neville has a chance to be really good? Please expand. You can't teach 7'2" no, can you unteach big white stiff? Lumbering is being kind...

He would fall under the criteria of 'steal'. IMO, anyone who makes a career for themselves in the NBA as a decent role player from the second round has to be considered a steal, and I think that Luke is going to be a good shot-blocking/rebounding center for a team. Certainly not in the mold of Dikembe Motumbo, but I can see him averaging 3 points, 4 rebounds, and a block a game in 15 or so minutes a game pretty easily with the right mentors and system.

Dr Mufasa wrote:Looks good except for Steph Curry dropping that far, I don't see that

The only team ahead of Minnesota that I see picking him (besides those I already mentioned) is Detroit, but I don't know if they want to run such a small back court.

I think it could work really well, but I also think that if Mullens works out well then Detroit has a really promising nucleus.

That would be an AMAZING Wolves draft.

Currey/Telfair
Derozan/Foye/Brewer
Gomes/Miller/Daye/Brewer
Love/Smith/Daye
Jefferson/Heytvelt

This is mostly for my benefit so I have a bit of a guide for the mock. Would love any input I can get on this and the mock draft.

Team Needs:

Atlanta - Size down low and a future point guard. They have an immensely athletic team that is still young outside of Bibby. Law has been a dissapointment so it is time to start looking for that guy they think can fill his shoes.

Current Mock--Jeff Teague, Paul Harris

Boston - Youth to put around Rondo. Allen, Pierce and Garnett all have a few good years left but when they retire Boston's lineup is going to be severely depleted. Depth on the wings would be a plus, but so would a backup center (they look set at power forward if they retain Davis and Powe).

Current Mock--Lester Hudson

Charlotte - A true shooting guard to go next to Augustine. Someone who can hit the three would be ideal, but that might be hard to find in this year's draft. Another body in the post would be nice too.

Current Mock--Gerald Henderson, Nando De Colo, Emir Preldzic

Chicago - A low post threat (not likely in this draft) and a backup/replacement for Loul Deng. With the chance of Gordon leaving a good shooting guard would be nice too.

Current Mock--BJ Mullens, Marcus Thornton

Cleveland - Depth and another scorer to put next to Lebron. They could use another shooting guard behind West.

Current Mock--Derrick Brown, Dante Cunningham

Dallas - Needs a starting shooting guard, depth at center and at point guard. I think it is very likely they trade for a shooting guard but the other positions still remain vacant. Depth is always a plus too, and I am of the opinion that Josh Howard needs a better backup.

Current Mock--Sam Young

Denver - Could really use a backup point guard with Anthony Carter and Billups both ageing. Likely to go BPA.

Current Mock--Rodrigue Beaubois

Detroit - Really hard to guess at what they want. As their roster is now a center or small forward would be their best bet, but they could really use youth at every position.

Current Mock--Earl Clark, Victor Claver, Taj Gibson, Sergio Llull

Golden State - A point guard, or at the very least a wing who compliments Ellis well.

Current Mock--Brandon Jennings

Houston - Depth at the center position is a big need.

Indiana - A bruising power forward would be a really good pick up. They have Murphy but need someone who can play physical defense.

Current Mock--DaJuan Blair, Jerel McNeal

LAC - Blake Griffin....and a point guard.

Current Mock--Blake Griffin

LAL - At this point they will be looking BPA. Depth is the main concern but they could also use a center.

Current Mock--Patrick Mills, Dionte Christmas, Jack McClinton

Memphis - They look set at every position but power forward. At 2 they will be taking Rubio, so Conley should be traded for someone to fill that void (or Rubio if they don't think he is a good fit).

Current Mock--Ricky Rubio, Chase Buddinger, Danny Green

Miami - Another team that will be looking for a center in what is basically a two center draft. They could also use another point guard.

Current Mock--Josh Heytvelt, Artem Zabalin

Milwaukee - They need a power forward or a point guard. Likely they will be loosing one of their key players in free agency so it is absolutely essential that they don't make another bad pick in the lottery.

Current Mock--Jrue Holliday, Jeff Pendergraph

Minnesota - Their back court is their biggest question at the moment. They could also use a point guard, shooting guard, and some height (Love and Jefferson will have trouble against guys like Shaq, Yao, and Dwight).

Current Mock--Hasheem Thabeet, Eric Maynor, Wayne Ellington, Alade Aminu, Henk Norel

New Jersey - Could use a power forward and a replacement for Vince Carter (as he gets older). They also need to add a better shooting guard, so getting a swing-man would be the best option.

Current Mock--Terrence Williams

New Orleans - Backup point guard and the small forward position are what I think the biggest needs for them. Peja is on his last legs and after Pargo leaving they are missing a good backup to Paul. With rumors of Jannero returning I think they look at the small forward position first.

Current Mock--Austin Daye

New York - Starting point guard...hmm, am I detecting a pattern?

Current Mock--Stephan Curry

Oklahoma City - A shot blocking center and a shooting guard are their biggest needs. I think that they can easily address these needs with where they pick. They could also use a third point guard to round out their lineup. As they mature this should become an excellent team.

Current Mock--James Harden, Nick Cathelas

Philadelphia - A point guard and a shooter (added Kapono) are the top things on their list. With their position at 17 I think that they can easily fill one of those gaps.

Current Mock--Ty Lawson

Phoenix - A point guard to replace Steve Nash. A swing man could also be in the mix. Basically they need players at every position so they will most likely go BPA.

Current Mock--Jonny Flynn, Tony Douglas, Nikos Pappas

Portland - Needs some tough-gritty players to bolster their bench and provide a spark. They have every position pretty much covered (other than point guard), so look for them to go BPA.

Current Mock--Tyler Hansbrough, DaJuan Summers, Jeff Adrien, Milenko Tepic, AJ Price

Sacramento - Point guard and Small forward have to be positions of concern. They landed in a tough spot in the draft so it is hard to predict what they do.

Current Mock--Tyreke Evans, Omri Casspi, Darren Collison

San Antonio - I think that small forward is their weakest position, but they also need big man depth.

Current Mock--Jonas Jerebko, Sergey Gladyr, DeMarre Carroll

Toronto - Again, the wings have to be their biggest concern. They will likely draft the best shooting guard/small forward available. Rebounding and a big body would also be a plus next to Bosh.

Current Mock--DeMar Derozan

Utah - Backup point guard and shooting guard are the biggest areas of concern--unless they loose Boozer and Millsap, then it is power forward.

Current Mock--James Johnson, Luke Neville

Washington - Shooting guard and power forward. Nick Young is not cutting it, and Jamison isn't getting any younger.

Current Mock--Jordan Hill, Jermaine Taylor

Raptors could use some toughness/offensive rebounding/post scoring too. Which is why there's a big rumor about us taking Blair

Wolves biggest need is a big time perimeter option, be it a point guard or a ball dominant SG. SF is the least of our concerns, after PF of course.

Jefferson owns Yao when they play.

Can't see it happening, but if so, MN would be extremely excited. Derozan goes about where he should, though he could fall back to 9th ish, but for Curry to drop so far and even Daye falling a bit; MN couldn't hope for much better...

Very nicely done and appreciate the notes and rationale behind the picks as well as the team notes section. Not sure they are all accurate, but it gives a great basis as to why the picks were made. Again, very well done.

Dr Mufasa wrote:Raptors could use some toughness/offensive rebounding/post scoring too. Which is why there's a big rumor about us taking Blair.

Would you take Blair though with so many good players on the wings available? With Marion leaving Toronto might have a shot at picking up a guy like Anderson Varejao for the MLE (or one of the centers in free agency, there are a couple good ones). Then they are able to address two areas of need.

Wolves biggest need is a big time perimeter option, be it a point guard or a ball dominant SG. SF is the least of our concerns, after PF of course.

Jefferson owns Yao when they play.

Yao has a lot of trouble against quick players (Boozer and Memo destroy him every year), so this is not a huge surprise to me--but the fact still remains that Minnesota has some height issues. Pekovic might help if he comes over--but I would not be surprised if the Wolves ended up with Mullens at 18 (still think they will draft a point guard though). With the 'official' measurements in do you think that Minnesota will go with Evans or Derozan? This is one of the picks that is starting to bother me.

Can't see it happening, but if so, MN would be extremely excited. Derozan goes about where he should, though he could fall back to 9th ish, but for Curry to drop so far and even Daye falling a bit; MN couldn't hope for much better...

Very nicely done and appreciate the notes and rationale behind the picks as well as the team notes section. Not sure they are all accurate, but it gives a great basis as to why the picks were made. Again, very well done.

I think Daye is going to rise into the high 20s after measurements--his standing reach for a small forward is incredible. It gives me hope that he will have the ability to block shots at the next level.

I'll be honest in saying that I have no clue about how the top point guards will go (Jennings, Curry, Flynn and Holliday especially). I think Maynor might be a faller after measurements (not by much) and Teague might be a riser. Of course, I think that they (measurements) are a bit over-exaggerated, for the most part, and if a player is good then their stock won't drop much because of them.

Thabeet & Buddinger?! Why so much hate?

Harden & Daye

djthesonicsfan wrote:Thabeet & Buddinger?! Why so much hate?

Harden & Daye

I think I will have Daye rising to where OKC picks. It sounds like Thabeet is a good fit for Oklahoma, but if they have a deal in place for Chandler, Dalembert, Kaman, etc. then it is certainly not a stretch to assume that they take Harden.

They don't have a deal in place for an upgrade at center, but they certainly have the assets to pull one off.

Frankly, Thabeet is not a good basketball player. In fact, he's not half as good as Krstic. There's zero reason Presti drafts Thabeet.

You can bank on it being Harden.

I did a pretty big update, but there are some bumpy spots in the first round that need to be worked out--still not sure what to do with Sacramento or New Jersey.

29. LA Lakers: Patrick Mills
Mills proved that he can be a good player in the Olympics--but that performance needs to be taken with a grain of salt because Carlos Arroyo did the same thing in 2006. He has range out to the NBA three and will do well learning from Derek Fisher.

Arroyo's big Olympic campaign was in 2004. The difference is Arroyo was 25yrs old at that point, Mills was 19yrs old when he performed so well at the 2008 Olympics, there is a big difference.

Mills upside is big, Arroyo's was not.

I can see Mills falling to the late 1st round, but dismissing his Olympics performance by referencing what some other random international point did at another Olympics at 25yrs of age, give you no cred.

bigricho12 wrote:

29. LA Lakers: Patrick Mills
Mills proved that he can be a good player in the Olympics--but that performance needs to be taken with a grain of salt because Carlos Arroyo did the same thing in 2006. He has range out to the NBA three and will do well learning from Derek Fisher.

Arroyo's big Olympic campaign was in 2004. The difference is Arroyo was 25yrs old at that point, Mills was 19yrs old when he performed so well at the 2008 Olympics, there is a big difference.

Mills upside is big, Arroyo's was not.

I can see Mills falling to the late 1st round, but dismissing his Olympics performance by referencing what some other random international point did at another Olympics at 25yrs of age, give you no cred.

Anyway, Arroyo was a freak, should have been a star in the NBA. Attitude, opportunity, age, dont knoiw what happended.

bigricho12 wrote:

29. LA Lakers: Patrick Mills
Mills proved that he can be a good player in the Olympics--but that performance needs to be taken with a grain of salt because Carlos Arroyo did the same thing in 2006. He has range out to the NBA three and will do well learning from Derek Fisher.

Arroyo's big Olympic campaign was in 2004. The difference is Arroyo was 25yrs old at that point, Mills was 19yrs old when he performed so well at the 2008 Olympics, there is a big difference.

Mills upside is big, Arroyo's was not.

I can see Mills falling to the late 1st round, but dismissing his Olympics performance by referencing what some other random international point did at another Olympics at 25yrs of age, give you no cred.

You are right about the year, that was my mistake (although he did destroy the FIBA tournament in 2006). I don' think Arroyo ever would have been a star--I got to watch him a lot when he played for the Jazz. Solid starting point guard? Yes; star? No.

Mills averaged 14 points and 2 assists which is pretty good but lots of players have had success in the Olympics or in the FIBA tournament but not in the NBA. A prime example is Estaban Batista (or even Wang Zhizhi).

Terrible. Can't believe you'd inflict us with the second coming of Manut Bol.

I find your hatred of Thabeet hilarious--maybe he does not turn into a star, but a 7-3 shot blocker with some mobility would be a valuable asset for any team.