Full Mock Draft (Post Lottery--6/23)

[babyjax13]

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

1. Washington Wizards - John Wall 6-4 PG 15p 4r 9a
Superb athlete, decent court vision. Is smaller than his listed height but well worth all the hype he has gotten. Gets into the lane well and has a decent jump shot. A very good floor general with all of the potential to be a top five player in the NBA. Will be a top 5 point guard the second he steps onto an NBA court.

With Wall in the fold Washington will either dump Arenas or attempt to play him as an off-guard. Wall and Blatche will be a good pairing (very similar to Wall and Cousins).
Other Picks: Devin Ebanks, Jordan Crawford

2. Philadelphia 76ers - Evan Turner 6-7 G/F 7p 4r 2a
Not a jaw dropping athlete, but he does everything really well - great passer and penetrator. Turner is a willing defender with all of the necessary tools and motivation to be great on that end of the court.
Other Picks: None

3. New Jersey Nets - Derrick Favors 6-10 F/C 7p 5r .1a
Hasn't taken over any games yet, but Favors is producing admirably for only playing 26 minutes per game. A lot of what he has done is overshadowed by the accomplishments of DeMarcus Cousins (who is in a similar role but dominating), however you cannot overlook Favors potential. The fact that he has played well despite being in a system where he doesn't see the ball as often as guys like Gani Lawal is a testament to the type of player he is, and can become.
Other Picks: Damion James, Stanley Robinson

4. Minnesota Timberwolves - Wesley Johnson 6-7 S/F 9p 3r 2a
A very refined and advanced player and more NBA ready than anyone other than Turner. Part of this is that he's a junior in college and most of the other players at this point are sophomores or freshman. Supposedly a lock at number four.

He has great form on his jump shot and fits well into Syracuse's offense. Seems very system oriented which coaches love - but at times seems to complacent, he needs to demand the ball more to catch the eyes of more scouts. Johnson is a good athlete in the prototypical small forward mold. A good defender, long - can guard college power forwards and wing players which will help his transition into the NBA. I see him as a better version of Travis Outlaw - which is a very good thing.
Other Picks: Hassan Whiteside, Quincy Pondexter, Trevor Booker, Brian Zoubek

5. Sacramento Kings - DeMarcus Cousins 6-11 C 13p 8r 2a
I think that Cousins has great potential. He is big, has been effective in limited minutes and seems to have a good head on his shoulders.

One of the things that has impressed me most about Cousins is his footwork and speed near the basket. He knows how to use his speed and athleticism to his advantage. Cousins has great size and strength near the hoop - he could play power forward or center in the NBA. Defensively he has great potential. He already has a knack for rebounding and if he works on his help side D he will be very formidable.

6. Golden State Warriors - Greg Monroe 6-10 PF 5p 5r 1a
Very skilled power forward, but has big questions as to his work ethic. I don’t think that is going to be an issue, but others will disagree. He is a great passing power forward (ala Chris Webber) with a decent jump shot. Needs to become more physical, but has the potential to become an amazing player. Can absolutely take over games with is passing - not many players of his size can say that.

Monroe is the perfect fit for Golden State whether or not they have Nellie back. He is a mobile big-man that can pass and hit mid-range jump shots. He will be a very good player to fit next to Andris Biendrins.

7. Detroit Pistons - Ed Davis 6-9 P/F
Hasn't impressed me (yet). Needs to become a lot more physical if he wants to avoid becoming the next in a very long line of high-potential busts (see Patrick O’Bryant, Chris Taft, Samiki Walker). What I do see though is a very mobile power forward that has a body that if filled out would make him very formidable physically.

8. Los Angeles Clippers - Al Farouq-Aminu 6-8 F
Aminu has so much potential it would be hard for a lot of teams to pass on him, he has size, speed and strength but he still has a long way to go in order to become a complete player. He has decent touch on his freethrows which gives me hope that he can develop his jump shot. He is strong and fast which is 1/2 of what you want in a small forward - but the other half (skill) is only partly developed. He has nice defensive instincts which go a long way toward making him not just an upside pick but his jump-shot and ball handling have a ways to go before he is a complete player.

9. Utah Jazz (from New York, via Phoenix) - Paul George 6-7 S/F 5p 3r 1a
A great shooter with athleticism, will elevate any team's level of play as a role player. Shoots 91% from the free throw line. Has better potential than people give him credit for. I think that he will be a very good pro. His shooting statistics are off the charts and he has the ability to handle the ball (much like Darrington Hobson in this same class). He fills a desperate need for the Clippers and will make a deadly combo with Eric Gordon on the perimeter. Reminds me of Rudy Gay and I think that he can have that type of impact when he comes into the NBA.

10. Indiana Pacers - Ekpe Udoh 6-11 C/F
A an extremely long and mobile player. Unlike most centers he is a very good ball handler with the ability to initiate the fast break on his own. Other than his ability to handle the ball and attack the lane he has a limited offensive skill-set, however there are a lot of things that will come to him in time.

I would put Whiteside into this spot, but I don't see Bird taking that kind of risk.

11. New Orleans Hornets - Cole Aldrich 6-11 C
Has been the leader of a great Kansas team for the last two years. Great anticipation of shots, and has decent athleticism. Good motor. Needs to improve his jump shot and post moves on offense in order to become an elite center. At times he seems like he has clubs for hands. Will dive on the floor for any loose ball. Great rebounder. Sets good screens and knows how to execute on the pick and roll. Has a good hook-shot but other than that has little to offer on offense besides the occasional tip.

12. Memphis Grizzlies - Luke Babbit
Good shooter with great athleticism. He's a great rebounder for a small forward, and rebounding is one of the few skills that always translates well into the NBA. He is a lefty which could turn out being a nice advantage for him. Really helped his stock after the combine, he did things that no one expected him to be able to do.

13. Toronto Raptors - Xavier Henry 6-6 G/F 6p 1r 1a
He has decent form on his jumpshot, but a couple of minor corrections need to be made that will turn him into an "elite" player. He doesn't always square up (ala CJ Miles) and he releases right after the peak of his jump. He is fairly athletic but doesn't really do anything eye-popping. I am excited to see how he and Wes Johnson do in the NBA.

14. Houston Rockets - Patrick Patterson 6-8 P/F
I haven't been too terribly impressed by his performance this year. A good athlete, slightly undersized. He could be a very good role-player at the NBA level but doesn't impress me as a future star. Falls in love with his jumper too much sometimes, he is much more effective when he is working near the low-post area. Very strong with an NBA body. Should have a rather immediate impact as a role player and reach his ceiling in 2 to 3 years. I don't see much room for improvement.

15. Milwaukee Bucks (from Chicago) - Larry Sanders 4p 3r .2a
This years big "measureables" pick. 6-10 with a huge 7-6 wing span. Raw offensively but has great ability on the defensive end due to his athleticism (blocks 3 shots per game).

16. Minnesota Timberwolves (from Charlotte, via Denver) - Hassan Whiteside 7-0 C
Has tremendous potential. Whiteside has the build of the prototypical center than makes GM's drool, the length, athleticism and hand-eye coordination. He also has a great offensive skill set - nice hands, decent footwork and a good jump-shot for a center make him a good option for a team on that side of the court. He is also a great shot-blocker and rebounder. Will need to add weight to his frame and overcome any perceived character issues, but he has the potential to be a top three center in the NBA.

17. Chicago Bulls (from Milwaukee) - James Anderson 6-6 G/F
A gifted scorer. Hits on his jump-shot at a respectable percentage but needs to improve his mechanics. Good athlete with the tools to become a nice defensive player.

18. Oklahoma City (from Miami) - Kyle Orton 6-9 C/F
Extremely raw big man. Has decent athletecism and a good frame. It sounds like scouts really like the tools he has. One thing that has been noticed is that he has a real nice bank shot within 12 feet, which is a really nice weapon for a center to develope. If guys like Tyson Chandler and Samuel Dalembert had a similar "go to move" they would be much more of a weapon than they currently are.

19. Boston Celtics - Avery Bradley 6-1 G
Great defender that plays with passion and hustles every time down the court. Has a knack for poking the ball away from offensive players. Decent shooter - will never be a primary scorer, but what he offers more than make up for his short-comings. Great all-around athlete, jumps well, fast, good hand-eye coordination.

20. San Antonio Spurs - Gordon Heyward
Has great form on his jump shot which is surprising considering the percentage he shoots at. Very good at getting into the paint, has great ball handling skills for his height.

21. Oklahoma City Thunder - Kevin Seraphin
Don't know much about him yet. Didn't have great stats over-seas but they weren't horrible either.

22. Portland Trail Blazers - Eric Bledsoe 6-1 P/G
Has nice size and is a good athlete. Transitioned well to being an off-the-ball player but is clearly a point guard. Has a slow release on his jump-shot that will need to be fixed, but he is accurate enough that defenses will have to be honest with him. The run of point guards under Callipari is truly astonishing and Bledsoe is a good player to continue that tradition (although he is not quite the phenom that Wall and Rose were).

23. Minnesota Timberwolves (from Utah, via Philadelphia) - Quincy Pondexter 3p 2r .2a
Has had great success at the college level. A very good shooter from 3-point range and the free-throw line (40% and 80%). Tweener but with a good skill-set. Good rebounder for his size (8 per game).

24. Atlanta Hawks - Solomon Alabi 7-1 C
One of the "high-upside" picks in this draft. Has all the measurables that you like to see in a prospect. He moves well and has good hands which is a huge thing for a center - I think that he is a better prospect than Aldrich or Whiteside. To me worst case scenario is that Alabi becomes a taller version of Samuel Dalembert.

25. Memphis Grizzlies (from Denver) - Dominique Jones 2p 1r 1a
Another one of the classic "tweener" guards. He has the height to play shooting guard which gives him a much better shot to be an NBA caliber talent. A prolific scorer, reminiscent of Marcus Thornton last year. I think this pick will be traded to Utah - and there target if they add another pick is this man because of his explosive scoring ability.

26. Oklahoma City Thunder (from Phoenix) - Willie Warren 6-4 G
Solid Offensive player, but short for a shooting guard, and too shot-first for a point guard. Another Jason Terry/Ben Gordon? Very good in the pick and role game - but doesn't get to the line much. Was projected at the begining of the year to be a lottery pick.

27. New Jersey Nets (from Dallas) - Damion James
Great rebounder, uses his size well in the post. Relies too much on his strength at times, strength that won't be nearly as pronounced when he makes it into the NBA. Made the right decision to stay with Texas. A very good athlete, fast.

28. Memphis Grizzlies (from L.A. Lakers) - Craig Brackins
Has regressed from last year significantly. Still a decent prospect. Reminiscent of David West with his game (oriented in the high-post).

29. Orlando Magic - Grevies Vasquez
Hits big shots on a consistent basis. Aggressive, good ball handler, big.

30. Washington Wizards (from Cleveland) - Devin Ebanks
Ebanks is having a bad season marred by off-the-court issues, but so did players like Rudy Gay... He doesn't have that potential, but he still has all the physical tools to be a solid NBA player.

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

31. New Jersey Nets - Stanley Robinson 6-9 F
Robinson is another one of the recent crop of athletic, swiss-army knife small forwards. He is a great athlete and a game changer at the college level.

32. Oklahoma City Thunder (from Minnesota) - Jarvis Varnado HNP
Prolific shot blocker. Not much in the way of offense other than tips and rebounds. A steal in the second round.

33. Sacramento Kings - Lance Stephanson
Wasn't the most impressive player in college. Good ball handler and size but the rest of his game needs a lot of work.

34. Golden State Warriors - Elliot Williams
Attacks the basket hard. Is a good shooter which opens up opportunities to drive to the hole and draw fouls or find the open man.

35. Washington Wizards - Jordan Crawford
A good shooter and team player. Not very aggressive on offense, doesn't get to the line very often.

36. Detroit Pistons - Mikhael Torrence
Good with both hands attacking the basket. Decent shooter and a good passer.

37. Milwaukee Bucks (from Philadelphia) - Darrington Hobson HNP
Very smooth overall game. A good shooter with decent athleticism. Gets lost sometimes on offense, not very assertive. A project player that could pay off big in the long run.

38. New York Knicks - Armon Johnson
Attacks the lane, good speed. Has a knack for scoring but he needs to work on his jump shot.

39. New York Knicks (from L.A. Clippers, via Denver) - Gani Lawal - HNP, signed by Phoenix
He has great size and a great motor. He uses his body well down low and has the potential to become a great backup F/C. Seems to always be hustling which is a thing NBA coaches (and any coach ) love.

40. Indiana Pacers - Nemenja Bjelica - HNP
A do-it-all small forward in the mold of Hedo Turkoglu. Has great ball handling skills and passer. Huge size for his point guard skill set (6-10)...

41. Miami Heat (from New Orleans) - Manny Harris 6p 3r 1a - starting for Cleveland.
Has great body control when he is playing, doesn't try to over-do things but is still aggressive. Could play point guard or be a shooting guard that takes some ball handling duties away from the point guard. Has decent form on his jump shot and hits free throws at a respectable rate. Reminds me of Antonio Daniels in many ways.

42. Miami Heat (from Toronto) - Tibor Pleiss
Good rebounder, young, great size. A good draft and stash candidate.

43. Los Angeles Lakers (from Memphis) - Jerome Jordan
Long and athletic. Last year was supposed to be a mid-first round pick. Everyday this draft looks deeper and deeper with players like Jordan highlighting the second round.

44. Portland Trail Blazers (from Chicago) - Sherron Collins
Lightning quick, strong for his size. Has been a fixture on a dominating Kansas team. Attacks the basket fearlessly, not turnover prone, decent shooter.

45. Minnesota Timberwolves (from Houston) - Trevor Booker
An athletic power forward. He is a bit short to be playing the position he does, but makes up for it with his strength. Not a very assertive player.

46. Phoenix Suns (from Charlotte) - Jerome Randle
Quick, short, good passer with nice ball handling skills. Would fit well in a run-and-gun offense (ala Brooks, but with less talent - maybe DJ Augustine?). Shoots 40% from 3 and 93% from the free throw line.

47. Milwaukee Bucks - Charles Garcia
Supposedly a good ball handler for a player of his size. Can spread the floor with his jump shot.

48. Miami Heat - Dexter Pittman
Pittman has a great chance at improving his draft stock this year in Texas. He has nice soft hands and great size. People also seemed to be enamored with his work ethic - and that is going to help him translate his game into the pros. Right now he dominated the college game because of his strength (ala Dajuan Blaire) but he is going to have to work in order to become an effective NBA F/C.

49. San Antonio Spurs - Paulao Prestes
I don't see him coming over until later in his career because he can get a guaranteed contract if he waits a while (plus he will make more money in Europe).

50. Dallas Mavericks (from Oklahoma City) - Sylvan Landesberg
Decent shooter and scorer at the college level. A good rebounder for his position, young.

51. Oklahoma City Thunder (from Portland, via Dallas and Minnesota) - Artsiom Parakhouski
Has good size for the center position but has been bothered in the past by length. A prolific rebounder, which is one of the skills that seems to translate well from college to the pros.

52. Boston Celtics - Aubrey Coleman
Has been an elite scorer for Houston. Not a good shooter.

53. Atlanta Hawks - Terrico White
I just have no clue what to think when I see him. He's on an anemic team, isn't assertive, but he still catches your eye because of his ball handling and understated way of getting into the lane.

54. Los Angeles Clippers (from Denver) - Latavious Williams
The first team to draft a D-League player. With the success that they had going that route I can easily see them trying it again.

55. Utah Jazz - Da'Sean Butler HNP
The West Virginia player that should be getting hype. A good scorer and defender. Has great form on his shot, moves well with and without the ball. Tore his ACL which could hurt his draft stock....a lot...

56. Minnesota Timberwolves (from Phoenix) - Brian Zoubek
Huge, sets good screens, mobile. A good defender and rebounder but very limited scoring the basketball.

57. Dallas Mavericks - Lazar Hayward
Had good measurements at the combine. A good offensive player.

58. Los Angeles Lakers - Jon Scheyer
Very good shooter, nice size for either point guard or shooting guard. Not an eye-popping athlete - no real position. A great candidate for a triangle offense.

59. Orlando Magic - Michael Washington
Long and athletic. A true hustle player.

60. Phoenix Suns (from Cleveland) - Miroslav Raduljica
Big European center with a good offensive skill-set. Soft. Weak defender. Shooting up draft boards at the moment, but I think that he will still be a second round pick. Draft and stash candidate.


First Round: 11 Right
Second Round: 1 Right...ouch

[djthesonicsfan]

Orton?

[babyjax13]

Do you think that the Thunder are still targeting him after his poor measurements? He is a bit smaller than guys like Kendrick Perkins, he looks a bit like Elton Brand with his measurements. I don't know, I guess if Chuck Hayes and Ben Wallace can play center so can Orton....

[shangrila]

I think Minnesota would go with Henry over Anderson. Henry has a bit more potential, fits the system a little better just seems like the kind of high character, intelligent guy they'd go after after the Cousins pick and if George is off the board. Not to say Anderson is bad or anything, but that interview he did with draftexpress made him look...slow.

[babyjax13]

I think Minnesota would go with Henry over Anderson. Henry has a bit more potential, fits the system a little better just seems like the kind of high character, intelligent guy they'd go after after the Cousins pick and if George is off the board. Not to say Anderson is bad or anything, but that interview he did with draftexpress made him look...slow.

I changed my mock to reflect this, but Henry's workouts have also confirmed what you have said.

The first round is updated with commentary, I am working on the second round.

[backasswards]

eric bledsoe at #12? way too high for him. avery bradley is too low. and the magic can't draft lucas since he's not in this draft class.

[babyjax13]

eric bledsoe at #12? way too high for him. avery bradley is too low. and the magic can't draft lucas since he's not in this draft class.

I didn't realize that Lucas had withdrawn from the draft, thanks for pointing that out. I don't know that Bledsoe will be top 12, but he is a good fit for Memphis who needs a point guard. I could see Bradley jumping two or three picks, but I think I have the range where he will be drafted pretty close.

[babyjax13]

Updated.

[quazi31]

give miami Dexter Pittman with their last pick

[babyjax13]

^^Updated.

[babyjax13]

9/15 so far. I don't know what to do with the mock now that New Orleans has two new picks.