Mock Draft

[Carmelo]

1. New Jersey Nets - John Wall (PG, Kentucky) - The obvious pick here. John Wall has all of the tools to be a great player in this league and will come into the league as one of the most hyped point guards in recent memory. The Nets need a savior for their franchise, and although I do not believe Wall will be able to save this team by himself, drafting him will definitely be a good first step. At 6'4" he has the NBA size, outstanding athleticism and quickness, can finish above the rim, good ballhandler, and very tough player to defend. Even with all of the hype, he does have some weaknesses. Wall has all of the potential in the world with his size and athleticism, but in the pros one cannot solely rely on athleticism if he wants to be a true star. He is great in transition but when the game slows down a bit he is an average passer and not a great outside shooter. Turnover prone at times and does not show much effort at the defensive end, although he has the quickness, size, and length to be a very good defender if the effort is there.

2. Minnesota Timberwolves - Evan Turner (G/F, Ohio State) - One of the best ballhandlers in this class, he looks very smooth with the ball in his hand and has elite point guard type handles despite being a 6'6" combo guard. Has a high basketball IQ - seems to always make the right play, good at drawing fouls, good court vision and can find the open man when his path to the basket is cut off. Outstanding length allows him to pick off a lot of passes. Plays at top speed nearly all the time, aggressive near the basket and very good at finishing even with contact. Very good midrange jumper but should improve his three point shooting. Shoots at a decent percentage but does not take that many shots outside. Needs to work on playing off the ball a bit more as well.

3. Golden State Warriors - DeMarcus Cousins (F/C, Kentucky) – Great size and great strength make him very tough to stop at the college level. Very good rebounder (although seems to not show much effort on the glass much) and scorer down low. Some of the main concerns about him is his athleticism and post moves, too things which he lacks but have not been exposed in college because of his ability to use his strength to outmuscle almost every college big man. Once he gets to the pros this may be a different story as he faces defenders who have the complete package of strength and athleticism. Work ethic, conditioning, and composure are also all question marks and he appears to get winded frequently, takes plays off, and sometimes loses his head during games. The potential is there for a very good big man though with his rare combination of size and strength.

4. Washington Wizards - Al-Farouq Aminu (F, Wake Forest) – Aminu is super athletic, has a great wingspan, and his very quick for his size. He has one of the highest potentials in this draft class of anyone besides Wall. His wingspan allows him to be very good shot blocker and rebounder. Sometimes gets in foul trouble or disappears in games, for example against Gonzaga he had five personals and he was only able to play 25 minutes and scored nine points. Other times he is fantastic, but his college production has been up and down all season. Needs to be more consistent on both ends of the floor and improve his outside shooting.

5. Philadelphia 76ers - Derrick Favors (PF, Georgia Tech) – Athletic big man with a 9’2” standing reach which allows him to a very good shot blocker and go up in the air to bring down alley-oops. He is able to play either forward position, he has the ability to defend on the perimeter with his athleticism and quickness, and has the strength and length to defend in the post as well. Needs some work on an outside jumper, ball handling, and passing. His college numbers have not shown anything outstanding, but he has all the physical tools to be great at the next level. He has been able to succeed solely on athleticism in college but will need to work on his patience, post moves, and footwork in order to find success in the NBA.

6. Detroit Pistons - Cole Aldrich (C, Kansas) – Very smart player who already has a strong understanding of the game. He has good footwork down low, is a very efficient scorer, has a big wingspan which allows him to be a good defender and shot blocker. Very good at passing off the double team and finding the open man. Not a freak athlete or super strong like some of the other big men in this class, but his length and fundamentals make him a very solid player. His strength will need to improve in the NBA to help him finish better around the basket. Not as much potential as some of the other big men prospects either but coming in he already will be a very solid player.

7. Sacramento Kings - Ed Davis (PF, UNC) – He may stay back at school now that he is out for the season with an injury, but I think he will come out since there are reports that he has talked to an agent but has just not signed yet. Another long and athletic big man in this draft with a ton of potential. He plays hard down low, great finisher in the paint with some good low post moves and a good dunker. Also a good defender and rebounder; can block shots with reportedly a 7’2” wingspan. Needs to add some bulk and strength and if he does he can be quite a force down low and should also try to expand his range.

8. Indiana Pacers - Wesley Johnson (G/F, Syracuse) – The prospect that I have watched the most this season due to him playing for Syracuse, his stock has risen the most from last season than any other player in this draft class after he transferred from Iowa State. He is very athletic with a super smooth jumper; can shoot with men in his face, off the dribble, and can create his own shots. At draft time he will 23, which definitely is a cause for concern for NBA teams concerning his upside. Doesn’t really seem like he has the ability to complete take over games with his scoring.

9. Utah Jazz (from NYK) - Stanley Robinson (F, UConn) – Very athletic player for UConn which is definitely his biggest asset right now. His length allows him to be solid both defensively and on the glass. Needs to work on his ball handling, passing, and ability to create his own shot if he expects to succeed at the next level. Still a very raw player but has shown flashes of greatness this season at UConn and has a sky high potential.

10. Milwaukee Bucks - Donatas Motiejunas (PF, Benetton Traviso) – He is about 7'0" and 220 pounds (that is definitely one of the knocks on him, he needs to add a lot of muscle like most European big men do when they come over). Lithuanian power forward who has a nice outside shot and raw potential, this guy is definitely going to be a project. He’s playing for the Italian team Benetton Treviso (same team Bargnani played on) in a much more difficult league than he played in last season. Here are his stats playing in Lithuania at age 18: 20 ppg on 50% shooting, 44% from beyond and 7 board per game.
At the absolute worst I see him as VladRad with a better post game, but he has a similar skill set to Dirk. He needs to build up strength so he can be better defensively (not a good defender - also a common characteristic or the Euro big men), but he has nice speed for his size and great hands. Solid ballhandler and can run the court well also. The bottom line is that he is a project requiring at least two years of bulking up/ coaching/ working on defense.

11. Los Angeles Clippers - Xavier Henry (G/F, Kansas) – Another part of the monster recruiting class at Kentucky this season along with John Wall, DeMarcus Cousins, and Eric Bledsoe. Has NBA size at 6’6” and a big body to play either shooting guard or small forward, and has great strength to along with it. Great scorer who can shoot from beyond the arc or drive it inside and finish in the lane as well as shoot very well from the stripe. Good rebounder and defender using his instincts as well as his length. Needs to improve on his ball handling and court vision, turnovers have been an issue and needs to work on his off hand. Not an elite athlete which limits his potential, does not have great speed, and effort on defense is on and off.

12. Chicago Bulls - Greg Monroe (F/C, Georgetown) – This is a guy who was slated top five last year and decided to come back to school, but his stock has taken a little hit. He does not have the featured player mentality, the offense for the Hoyas runs through him and even though he is a great passer sometimes he is a little too unselfish, passing to a teammate when he should be looking to score. Great court vision and great passer, seems to always find an open man which explains his high assist numbers for a big man. Has a variety of post moves and a smooth jumper, as well as a nice long wingspan which allows him to be an excellent rebounder and shot blocker. As I said before, he rarely looks to dominate and sometimes he looks disinterested on the court. Average quickness, athleticism, and finishing ability. His numbers this season for Georgetown have been highly inconsistent, sometimes dominating a game while other times disappearing for stretches on both ends of the court.

13. Minnesota Timberwolves (from CHA) - Elias Harris (F, Gonzaga) – Harris kind of reminds me of a Josh Howard; he is tough, athletic, and a good rebounder and defender. He has great footwork under the basket, but he due to his size he will probably play more as a SF in the NBA which means he will need to work on his play from the perimeter since he has spent the majority of his time as a big man for Gonzaga. His jump shot is still a work in progress. He is a freshman at Gonzaga but already has international playing experience when he played for German Mannschaft. Has a strong basketball IQ, good physical tools, and good fundamentals.

14. Toronto Raptors - Solomon Alabi (C, Florida State) – Alabi has outstanding size and length, and once he puts on a little muscle he will have perfect NBA big man size. He is not a big threat offensively, but he has looked more comfortable on the offensive end this season. His man strength is on the defensive side of the ball, very good timing on his block shots and once he gets a little stronger it will definitely help him with man to man down low. Needs to improve on his positioning for rebounding and overall fundamentals on both sides of the ball, but his athleticism and size allow to him have a very high ceiling.

15. Miami Heat - Ekpe Udoh (F/C, Baylor) – Udoh transferred to Baylor from Michigan and so far it has worked out for the best for him. Udoh is a long and athletic big man who can create his own shots. Baylor likes to isolate Udoh away from the basket and allow him to create his own shot, which is definitely an interesting aspect of his game but he shows a very solid first step in these situations. He is decent three point shooter based on a small sample size, but his free throw shooting is terrible. He needs to improve both his focus and fundamentals on the defensive end.

16. Houston Rockets - Patrick Patterson (PF, Kentucky) – The veteran for Kentucky on a team full of freshmen. Patterson is a great finisher around the rim and an extremely efficient scorer. He has great length and athleticism, as well as a will to score down low which make him tough to stop. Needs to develop a jump shot, post up game, and improve on creating his own shot to succeed at the next level. He has just average size, which leads to him not being the best rebounder or defender.

17. New Orleans Hornets - Willie Warren (PG/SG, Oklahoma) – His draft stock has definitely fallen a lot since his freshman season when he played great along with the two Griffin brothers at Oklahoma. This season he has been far less impressive and currently out of commission with mono. Still has the physical tools that allowed him to be such a talked about prospect last year; great size, athleticism, and explosiveness. He is a decent defender due to his size and quickness. Thinks like a scorer (sometimes to a fault, as he takes a contested shot without passing to an open teammate) but loves to take the big shot and has good range on his jumper. A question mark is that he is not a true yet undersized to be an NBA SG at 6’4”.

18. Oklahoma City Thunder - Jan Vesely (PF, KK Partizan Belgrade) – The second best European player in this draft class, at 6’11” he is not a very good outside shooter but he handle the ball like a guard and hustles at all times on the court. He is very young at just 18 years old, but is a main contributor on his team and he has performed very well. He is under contract with his European team until 2013, so unless the team that drafts him is willing to buyout his contract he will likely stay in Europe for at least a year to continue to develop. He is a very good rebounder, shot blocker, and passer. Very good player off the ball to get open for a shot or layup. He needs to add some strength to improve his finishing in the paint, as well as improving his consistency from three point land and the free throw line (50% from the stripe).

19. Memphis Grizzlies – James Anderson (SG, Oklahoma State) – His production and leadership ability shown this season at OK State by Anderson have propelled him up draft boards. He has been inconsistent at times this season, sometimes struggling with his ball handling and ability to create his own shot, sometimes taking over games like against Texas where he put up 24 first half points on Avery Bradley. Moves off the ball very well and a very good perimeter shooter.

20. Oklahoma City Thunder (from PHX) - Larry Sanders (PF, VCU) – Sanders is a physical specimen at 6’10” with a 7’6” wingspan, outstanding quickness and explosiveness will allow him to play either PF or C in the NBA. He will need to add more strength to allow him to better finish around the basket and defend stronger players. Still a very raw offensive player who scores by athleticism and needs work on almost every part of his offensive game, especially creating his own shot and ball handling.

21. San Antonio Spurs - Eliot Williams (SG, Memphis) – Williams transferred to Memphis to be closer to his mother, and has found success there as the featured player for the Tigers. He needs to improve his ball handling, he is able to get to the basket with his explosiveness but still has a tendency for a high number of turnovers. He is good at driving to the basket and initiating his contact to get to the line, and his free throw percentage has taken a big jump up front last season. He has nice size, length, and athleticism as well.

22. Portland Trailblazers – Avery Bradley (SG, Texas) – A tweener guard out of Texas who at 6’3” is undersized for SG but not a true point guard. An outstanding scorer who has a beautiful jump shot. His wingspan and athleticism allow him to play bigger than his size, and he is able to score from almost anywhere on the court. On the defensive end, he shows a lot of effort and with his physical tools he has the potential to be a good defender at the NBA level. Looks for his own shot instead of passing to an open teammate, not a very good distributor. He can be a streaky shooter sometimes, and is not afraid to chuck it up even when he gets cold. Needs to drive inside more often instead of always settling for outside shots.

23. Minnesota Timberwolves (from UTA) - Paul George (F, Fresno State) – Plays PF at Fresno State, but will probably be a SF in the NBA at 6’7” and still a small frame. His biggest strength is his outside shooting, he shot 45% from beyond the arc last season which has gone down slightly this year. He is raw offensively around the basket due to his lack of strength, but has all the physical tools (size, athleticism, length) to improve in that area. He has been impressive defensively, and uses his length to shut down opponents and has also been solid at shot blocking and jumping passing lanes. Overall, George is still very raw and needs to develop more strength.

24. Orlando Magic – Quincy Pondexter (SF/PF, Washington)- Pondexter is a very solid shooter and has great athleticism. Can play some great defense as well, evidenced as when he shut down NBA prospect Charles Garcia of Seattle earlier this season. He can play suffocating defense on the perimeter and can use his length to defend in the post as well. Great size and build, definitely has an NBA body. He is undersized, but has used is athleticism and footwork to easily dominate players at the college level. Needs to improve his ball handling and creating his own shot.

25. New Jersey Nets (from DAL) – Dominique Jones (SG, South Florida) - He is averaging 21, 6, and 4 on 50% shooting. However he is really stepped it up during Big East play and has to be averaging close to 25-28 points over the conference schedule. He is a solid athlete, can create his own shot, get to the free throw line. Does not have the greatest range but still an outstanding scorer who has carried South Florida on his back this season, stepping up when it matters in conference play. 30 and 9 vs Cuse, 46 10 and 8 vs Providence, 28 vs WVU, 28 vs Seton Hall, 36 points in leading USF over Pitt. His leadership and work ethic are top notch but like some others players will be left without a true position in the NBA but will most likely be a SG. His lack of size limits his potential and raises question marks on how good he will be at creating his own shot in the pros like he has been doing in college.

26. Atlanta Hawks – Damion James (PF, Texas) – James is a tough and gritty senior from Texas who plays aggressiveness and can finish with contact. He plays tough and strong on the defensive end as well, but since he is undersized it leaves question marks on how well he will be able to defend at the next level. Has good athleticism, rebounding ability, and off ball movement. Needs to improve on a lot of his fundamentals, he is not an efficient shooter, not a very good ball handler, unable to create his own shot, and his free throw shooting is not great (65%).

27. Memphis Grizzlies (from DEN) - Sherron Collins (PG, Kansas) – This senior leader from Kansas is undersized but makes up for his size with his quickness and ball handling. Can take over games with his scoring, very good strength and defense for his size (shows a lot of effort on the defensive end), and uses his strength to drive for the hoop or can hit a three. His size is one of the main concerns especially since he is not really a true point guard, not the best distributor and needs to improve his assist to turnover ratio.

28. Boston Celtics - Gani Lawal (PF, Georgia Tech) – Decided to stay another year at Georgia Tech to play alongside Favors, Lawal has been overshadowed by the freshman but still will be drafted in the first round. Possesses amazing athleticism and a 7’0” wingspan. Needs to improve his post game and finishing with his off hand, as well as developing some sort of jump shot. Needs to improve defensively, has the athletic tools to be a good defender but sometimes overcommits or plays too aggressively. He has been a productive rebounder for Georgia Tech this season and always plays hard and reportedly has a strong work ethic off the court as well.

29. Memphis Grizzlies (from LAL) - Craig Brackins (F/C, Iowa State) – Brackins is a proven scorer who can score in the post or knock down shots on the perimeter. Too much of hybrid forward, he is able to play both positions but will need to add some more weight and muscle to his frame to bang it out down low in the NBA. His shot is very tough to defend because of his height and high release, and he knocks it down with consistency. He rebounds fairly well and has consistently put up good numbers at Iowa State. Settles for too many jump shots on the perimeter because his handles are not good enough to drive the lane.

30. Washington Wizards - Artsiom Parakhouski (C, Radford) – Even though he is from a small time school, Parakhouski has proved to be one of the most dominant big men in college basketball. He is averaging 21.3 points per game, 13.2 boards per game, and 2.3 blocks per game. Including dominating in conference play, Parakhouski has put up big numbers when faced with formidable competition as well. When matched up against Cole Aldrich and Kansas, he put up 21 and 13 and against Duke he put up 24 and 14. Dominating scorer in the paint and a very good rebounder as well.

http://basketballsfuture.blogspot.com/

[Wiscfan92]

I hope your Bucks prediction is wrong. I don't want another foreign player drafted, they don't end up that well in Milwaukee. I would much rather see the Bucks take Monroe.

[Silver Man]

I'd rather want the Kings to take Greg Monroe, than Davis.

[KevinMcreynolds]

The W's won't take Cousins, in all honesty I see him being the Paul Pierce of this draft and dropping down the board. There are really no positives about him besides his size. He's slow footed, has bad hands, no post moves, can't shoot free throws, is a lazy defender, doesn't box out etc etc.

They'll take Turner or Favors depending on their pick.

[i<3basketball]

The W's won't take Cousins, in all honesty I see him being the Paul Pierce of this draft and dropping down the board. There are really no positives about him besides his size. He's slow footed, has bad hands, no post moves, can't shoot free throws, is a lazy defender, doesn't box out etc etc.

Um wrong. You have never seen Cousins play and apparently haven't even read a good scouting report either. Cousins is a decent interior scorer with a couple moves. And you don't get 10+ boards a game in the SEC without boxing out.

[Carmelo]

The W's won't take Cousins, in all honesty I see him being the Paul Pierce of this draft and dropping down the board. There are really no positives about him besides his size. He's slow footed, has bad hands, no post moves, can't shoot free throws, is a lazy defender, doesn't box out etc etc.

They'll take Turner or Favors depending on their pick.

I am beginning to think they will take Favors as well.

[Esohny]

Harris won't be in the draft.

[BucksRUS]

Your end of lottery draft order is incorrect. Teams in the West such as NO, Houston, and Memphis will pick 12 through 14. Toronto would be at 15. Actually the whole order is screwed up.

Not a very likely choice for the Bucks. They would take Monroe or Udoh first.